2pm - 5.30pm - Workshop: Play-based Participatory Process and its Image - methods of the To Be What We Are project, with Eszter Nemethi and Claire Murphy

Workshop is free, but booking required - see below

Please join us for a workshop sharing the methods and learning of the To Be What We Are project (Cork Midsummer Festival, 2023). After a brief introduction to the project, we will briefly explore play as a participatory method and the possible role of documentation. After a short break, we will gather to discuss some of the core principles of the methodology and how they might be applied in other contexts.The workshop is led by Eszter Nemethi and Claire Murphy.

To Be What We Are was a two-year residency of Eszter Nemethi collaborating with groups of Traveller children and their adults in the North of Cork produced by the Cork Midsummer Festival. It resulted in an installation and a short film of the same title (dir. Claire Murphy) the latter premiered at the Cork International Film Festival. The final outcome of the project, the publication ' Playing by Ear, a case study of To Be What We Are by Eszter Nemethi that documents and reflects on the process, will be launched later on the day at MTU Gallery.

The project was funded by the Arts Council through an Arts Participation Project Award and supported by Springboard Family Services, Cork City Partnership and TUSLA. Initiated by Cork Midsummer Festival it was part of the BE PART Art Beyond Participation (2019-2024), a Creative Europe project that critically explored the politics and practices of participation in the arts. This workshop is funded by the Arts Council's Agility Award and is the outcome of a residency at the Green Corridor, Brussels.

The workshop will take place in MTU Gallery, 46 Grand Parade. Doors from 1.30pm and the workshop will start at 2pm sharp. The workshop is free. It is aimed at artists, social workers and education professionals. 

Please contact Susan Holland(participation@corkmidsummer.com) to register.

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6pm - Playing by Ear Publication Launch

Join us for the launch of Playing by Ear: A Case Study of To Be What We Are, written by Eszter Nemethi. This publication captures the insights and experiences of To Be What We Are. Edited by Dr. Sophie Hope, this reflective work explores themes of agency, community engagement, and the power of play across inter-cultural, inter-sectoral, and inter-generational collaborations.

The evening will include an In Conversation discussion with project collaborators Eszter Nemethi, Claire Murphy, Maeve McCarthy (Tusla) and Susan Holland (Cork Midsummer Festival). The reception afterward offers a chance to connect with others interested in socially engaged art.

Supported by the Arts Council, Cork Midsummer Festival, Cork City Council Arts Office, Springboard Family Project, TUSLA, Cork City Partnership, Creative Europe, MTU Crawford College of Art and Design and the Green Corridor.

The publication will be available for purchase for €20 (cash only). 

This event is free and open to all.